The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for making artificial snow and in particular to an improved method and apparatus for making artificial snow which is capable of making large quantities of snow efficiently.
The unpredictability of the weather has made the making of artificial snow an essential aspect of the operation of virtually all successful ski resorts. Commercial snow making machines frequently include a high-powered fan for providing a substantially unidirectional high volume movement of ambient air and means for injecting a water spray into the high volume air current at an appropriate rate sufficient to cause crystallization of the spray and deposition of the crystals as artificial snow. Typically, compressed air and water are added to the water spray to further enhance the crystallization of the water spray.
It is a generally recognized principle that the quantity of snow produced is a direct function of the amount of water used. However, with conventional snow making machines, under given ambient air conditions, only a limited quantity of water may be sprayed into the high volume air movement and still result in high quality snow. If excessive amounts of water are introduced, a less desirable wet snow may result or excess water droplets may begin to fall out of the air stream prior to complete crystallization. Thus, with such machines there exists a significant trade-off between snow quality and quantity which varies in accordance with prevailing atmospheric conditions.
Accordingly, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for making artificial snow which increases the quantity of high quality snow which can be produced at given atmospheric conditions.
In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved snow making machine that is capable of producing high quality snow within a relatively broad range of operating parameters, thereby making effective use of the machine practical.
Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved snow making machine which is more efficient to operate and requires substantially less energy than conventional machines.
In general, these objects are accomplished by providing a plurality of water nozzles which are disposed in upper and lower quadrants around the periphery of the high volume air stream and a pair of nucleating or seeder nozzles located at the center of the air stream. By injecting the nucleated ice crystals into the voids between the upper and lower quadrants of water spray a substantially longer time is provided for the formation of ice crystals before the nucleated crystals contact the water spray on both sides of the supercooled mass. Thus, the effectiveness of the nucleation process is enhanced and the quantity of nuclei available for snow particle formation is increased. Hence, the volume of water which can be used is similarly increased without reducing the quality of the snow produced. In addition, the relative location and configuration of the water nozzles serves to consolidate the high volume air stream, thereby providing a venturi cooling effect and a greater throw to further improve the snow formation process.